Earlier this month, dozens of amici briefs were filed to the U.S. Supreme Court urging the court to rule in favor of marriage equality. The court is expected to review a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, which upheld bans on marriage equality in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. The 6th Circuit's ruling was the first time a federal appeals court upheld bans on marriage equality.
One of the briefs filed was signed on to by 400 major U.S. companies, including 40 of the Fortune 100 companies. Among the many companies are The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines Inc., Diageo North America Inc., Facebook Inc., Google Inc., Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Nike Inc., PepsiCo, Twitter Inc., and Wells Fargo & Company.
Another brief was filed by religious groups, organizations, and leaders, including nearly 2,000 individual clergy, representing all 50 states. The brief included more than a dozen Bishops of The Episcopal Church in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee; General Synod of the United Church of Christ; Jewish Theological Seminary; Lutheran Bishop William Gafkjen of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod; Retired United Methodist Bishops C. Joseph Sprague and Melvin G. Talbert; Richard Cizik; Geoffrey A. Black, General Minister and President; and Lindsay Andreolli-Comstock, Executive Director of the Alliance of Baptists.
More than 300 conservative and Republican leaders also filed a historic brief stating that marriage equality is conservative value that strengthens the institution of marriage, including GLAAD Board Member Meghan McCain; Kenneth B. Mehlman; Senator Mark Kirk; United States Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman; Margaret Hoover; SE Cupp; and Abby Huntsman.
Other briefs include the Obama administration and Department of Justice, 167 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 44 U.S. Senators, more than 200 law enforcement officers and first responders, 226 mayors of major US cities, as well as dozens of organizations, including Freedom to Marry, BiLaw, Campaign for Southern Equality, Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights Watch, and the NAACP.
For a full list of amici briefs filed to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of marriage equality, visit Freedom to Marry.